Smothered (bxb)

Breathe

The next day at lunch I was ecstatic to go back to the elm tree to talk to Gus again. I told my mom about him the night before, she didn't seem too impressed about the smoking but I told her how much of an amazing artist he is and how his sketch looked like an actual photo that had been taken! She laughed at me and told me to calm down and act like a normal person or I'd scare him away... she didn't know the half of it. Actually I was really starting to worry, what if he thought I was annoying and didn't want to talk to me, then my only chance of making a friend would be smashed into smithereens.

Holding my breath, I walked outside towards the elm tree and to my relief I saw a head of long, dirty blond hair poking out from behind the trunk. I let out the breath that I had been holding in as I walked up to where Gus sat.

"Hey." I said unsure if I would be welcome again. I looked down at his thin frame and saw that he was looking up at me with his big, puppy-like hazel eyes.

"You going to sit?" He asked quietly still looking at me with his thin, light brown eyebrows raised slightly.

"Yeah! Yeah." I said hurriedly as I dropped my bag on the ground and sat next to him under the peaceful shade of the elm. Gus sat quietly in his own world sketching away, his pencil noisily scratching at the paper as I started to read the romance novel that I chose to bring today. I just got into it when I heard Gus start to speak. 

"What are you reading today?" he asked in his husky voice. I turned to look at him when I noticed what he had been drawing on his sketch pad. It was a boy, with dark hair and a concentrated face as he sat under a tree... reading a book.

"Is that me?" I asked completely forgetting that he asked me a question. He laughed a little and held out the paper so I could see it fully. It was definitely me. The dark hair curling into eyebrows, the shaded skin, and not to mention the book cover was identical to the one I was actually reading yesterday. He even got my outfit right, the black skinny jeans, dark shirt and my flannel. I blinked back my astonishment as to how accurate it was. The most striking thing though, was my face. It was creased with concentration, yes, but there was a certain light, softness to it that made it look like I was really enjoying the book. I looked up at Gus with his long hair being pushed back slightly in the breeze and noticed that he had an ear piercing near the top of his left ear. It was light pink.

"Gus, holy crap man!" I exclaimed coming out of my trance and realizing that I had been staring.

"You can have it." He said quietly as he started to tear it out of his book.

"What! Really?!" I said excitedly, my eyes widened at his generosity.

"Yah, here." He said with a soft smile as he put the drawing in my lap and closed his book. He then reached into his pocket and grabbed out a cigarette box and a lighter.

"Hum?" He hummed towards me as he offered me a smoke. I shook my head quickly declining and he just shrugged and lit his.

"So you don't smoke?" He asked in between puffs. I laugh slightly and shake my head.

"No, I tried once, but it just burnt my throat." I told him honestly remembering when one of my old friends stole one from his parents and we passed it around.

"Yah, I love that feeling." he said with a sigh as he leaned back against the large trunk of the tree. "I guess it's just comforting to me." He said with a smile as he took another drag.

"You know what's comforting to me?" I ask him.

"Humm, what?" He asks back.

"Reading." I say. It probably was really lame but I just felt like talking about anything with him. Gus looked at me with wrinkles by his eyes as he smiles.

"Should'a guessed that." he said looking back into the leaves overhead.

"It takes my mind off of the world, you know? Makes it a little more bearable to be in."

"Yah, I kinda know exactly what you mean." He whispered. We just sat there talking like that for a while until the bell went and I got up to leave. Gus stayed behind probably going to skip his next class. I would have liked to stay and talk with him, but I had math class next and I loved math. I guess you could call me a nerd, but numbers just come so easily to me. I've always found comfort in numbers and at how systematic they are. In my old school I had the highest grades in both Math and Science but knowing how big of a school this is I didn't have any expectations of that happening again. I didn't mind though, I just loved how I could solve any problem easily, it was so much different than my social problems. God, if being social was as simple as math equations I would have so many friends, I wish it came that easy... but at least I have started talking to Gus.

Once school ended I walked out of class towards my lockers and after putting my textbooks away I went into the washroom. As I opened the door I could hear Gus's wheezing and hacking from inside one of the stalls. I quietly tap on the door of the stall he's in.

"Gus?" I ask unsure if he can hear me but I hear him wheeze an answer.

"Fuck, man...." He says as he's cut off by another round of coughs.

"Open the door, I can help." I say to him timidly. I hear him rummaging around in the stall and then it opens and I see him sitting there, beet red in the face gasping for air.

"Jesus, Gus!" I whisper panic evident in my voice as I watch him claw at his throat with his black painted nails leaving painfully red scratches on his neck. I quickly grab his hands away from his throat so his airway is less constricted and I help him stand, using me as a crutch. 

"Lets get you to the office okay?" I try to stay calm but I don't think he is breathing at the moment. His face is going a deep shade of red and turning purple. I try to rake my mind for something useful but at this rate I won't be able to get him to the nurses room fast enough with all the students crowded in the halls. So I take a bold risk and shove him by the sinks. I turn the hot water taps all on to full and shove his face by the hot water. I'm hoping that the steam will help open up his throat so he can at least breathe, then we can get him to a nurse. After a few seconds the steam from the hot water seems to be working a little because Gus's body isn't heaving for air any more, he's mostly just shaking; either from exhaustion or fear, I'm not sure. I see him try to cup his hands for water but they are shaking too much so I cup my hands under the scalding water and help him take a sip. The water almost cooks my hands and leaves them red, but I threw that thought from my mind as I helped him. After he drank the initial attack seemed to be over and he looked at me with thankful eyes. I nod and help him stand so we can walk to the office. He is trembling and weak so he leans on me for support, his long body seems to be dragging with exhaustion from the fight to breathe earlier and he leans closer into my side for support. I'm practically carrying him through the halls. A few lingering students stare at the odd sight but I just look past them and make my way to the office.

"Excuse me!" I say briskly to the office lady, "He needs medical attention right now." I say urgently. The lazy woman takes her time looking over at me and then her eyes rest on Gus's pink face and red marks on his neck and her eyes bulge.

"Get him in here, quickly now!" She says hurriedly. I bring him in and we lay him on the bed in the nurses office. The lady shoos me away as she grabs an inhaler and helps Gus to breathe again. I look back as I leave and my eyes are met with big, heavy, hazel ones and I know he is thanking me, the only way he can.